Strava starts charging for cycling, running features and analysis

Movement outdoors is limited these days, no thanks to the lockdown policies in place in most countries. The pandemic coronavirus has already changed our lives in the past few months. For many people, going to the gym is something they can’t do. For some, they miss running, biking, or simply walking. But then not having access to a gym or a larger space is no excuse for anyone to not workout. There are plenty of exercise videos on YouTube you can follow.

For others who still have the luxury to run or bike wherever they are, they can take advantage of Strava. This health and fitness app for track running, cycling, and swimming has just been updated. The change is really more on the business side.

The free-to-download app can still be downloaded from the Google Play Store. However, some special and popular features have been locked. They can be accessed after a user pays a premium for the subscription.

The Strava app has been one useful app for many runners and cyclists. It works with the Apple Watch and most Wear OS smartwatches. It shows data of a user’s cycling or running sessions with the GPS. The app also allows you to share photos, follow friends, and join challenges set by other Strava users.

At the moment, Strava has over 55 million users. It’s not clear if they are all active but most of them are on the free version. If you regularly use Strava, it is encouraged you pay for the premium. More features will move to the paid category.

Previous placements will still be shown to free users but without any analysis. If you wish to see your placement’s meaning and analysis, you need to pay. You are provided 60 days to enjoy the features for free but you will have to subscribe if you want more information and features. The $5 monthly subscription is affordable enough.